Casket receiving device



June 19, 1934. HARDER H 1,

CASKET RECEIVING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS June 19, 1934. 1 HA ET AL 1,963,267

CASKET RECEIVING DEVICE Filed Feb; 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented June 19,1934

UNITE-D srA'rEs CASKET RECEIVING DEVI Henry LBardes-andlierbertlllotenberg, BaverDanaWia.

M1. 231m, Serial No. 05am 1. Gains.

. Our invention relates to improvements in casket receiving devices.

In our former patent, numbered 1,888,798, dated July 26, 1932, we have illustrated a casket placer l in turn-table relation to supports which may be detachably engaged with the side bars of an ordinary casket lowering mechanism, and the object of the present invention is to provide simpier and less expensive mechanism to receive and facilitate the placing of a casket in lowering position above the straps of alowering mech- Further objects are to provide a casket receiving device composed of two separable memll bers adapted for mutual support in a horizontal position while receiving a casket, and also adapted to be disengaged from each other and swung downwardly to allow the casket to be deposited upon the lowering straps; to provide a casket 1 receiving device for a lowering mechanism, the

members of which may be drawn out laterally from beneath the casket after the casket is in position for lowering; to provide a roller carrying frame with hook-shaped members adapted to connect the frame with one side of the lowering mechanism in association with an auxiliary supporting fork having hook-shaped arms adapted to be connected with the other side of the lowering mechanism and temporarily connected 0 with the frame in a manner to be manually released and allowed to swing downwardly after the casket is in position, whereby the frame may be permitted to also swing downwardly toward the other side of the grave, thereby allowing '6 both members to be lifted and removed either before or after lowering the casket into the grave.

A further object is to provide means whereby a cable associated with the casket receiving frame may be utilized to temporarily hold an auxiliary fork in supporting relation to the frame of the casket receiving device, and also to provide means for anchoring the cable to the frame of the casket lowering mechanism in a manner to securely support the members of the receiving device I in casket receiving position.

A further object is to provide a casket lowering mechanism with a casket receiving roller at one end for cooperation with the detachable casket receiving device to facilitate placing the easket in proper lowering position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a casket lowering mechanism with our improved casket receiving attachment applied thereto in 66 position for use.-

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view drawn to line 2-2 of Figure 1.

figure 3 is a transverse sectional view drawn to line 3-3 of Figure 1, and showing the members of the placing attachment as they appear when swung to a vertical position.

Figure 4 is a detail view of a portion of one of the frame supporting hooked arms when formed in telescoping sections and equipped with means for locking the sections. in various positions of extension.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing an auxiliary casket support to be used in connection with the casket receiving device illustrated in the other views.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary auxiliary casket support.

Figure I is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the frame of the casket receiving device as it appears when used in connection with a vault bottom.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A generally rectangular frame is formed by connecting side bars 10 and 11 by cross rods 12. The bars 10 and 11 are preferably angle iron bars. Rollers 13 are joumaled on the cross rods 12. This frame may be detachably supported from one of the rotary side bars 15 (or 16) of the casket lowering mechanism by hanger rods 18 which have hook-shaped ends 19 adapted to fit the bar 15 (or 16). In order that the frame may be centrally supported between the side bars 15 and- 16 of the lowering mechanism, each of the hanger rods 18 is made tubular and adapted to telescopingly receive rods 21 which project inwardly from the opposite side of the frame, i. e., from the angle bar 11 in the construction illustrated in Figure 1.

The rod 21 is provided with a transverse socket to receive a spring 23 adapted to urge a plunger 24 into engagement in any one of a series of apertures 25 formed in the tubular hanger rod 18, as best shown in Figure 4. The plunger 24 has plan view of the a projection 26 adapted to enter a hole 25 with which it is in registry. The projections 26 have suiiicient anchorage in the registering apertures 'of the rods 18 to lock the rod sections 18 and 21 together in the desired position of adjustment. Tochange the adjustment and adapt the casket receiving device for use with lowering mechanisms of diiferent width, the locking projections 26 may be pushed inwardly by pressure of thumb or finger and reengaged in different apertures when the desired adjustment has been made. As no shown in Figure 4,- the hanger rods 18 extend through apertures in the angle iron frame bar 10.

A cooperative supporting fork has arms provided with hook-shaped ends 31 engageablewith the frame bar of the'lowering mechanism on the opposite side from that engaged by the hooks 19. These rods 30 are preferably. connected with each other by a cross rod 32. The length of the rods 30 is such that they may extend underneath the roller supporting frame and be received in notches 34 formed in the lower margins of the downwardly extending flanges of the frame bars a 10 and 11.

A cable 36 is'secured to the frame bar 10 at 37 and may be extended underneath the free end portion of the rods 30 to hold the latter in a horizontal positionfas clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. A

The cable 36 will preferably be extended over the hanger rods 18, this cable being then drawn across one end bar 38 of the lowering mechanism and secured thereto by an eccentric member or anchoring cam 39, which may be adjusted in clamping position by a lever 40.

The end bar 38 of the lowering mechanism is provided with clamping members 42 which sup- ,port a roller 43 above the bar 38, whereby the end of the casket may be first deposited upon this roller 43 and the casket then pushed into position upon the rollers 12.

After the casket has been received upon the rollers 12 and properly placed above the grave and above the straps 44, lever may be adjusted to release'the cable 36, whereupon the supporting rods 30 will be permitted to swing downwardly, their downward movement being controlled by drawing upon the cable 36, the eccentric or cam 39 being made to serve as a brake to con-' trol this movement. The supporting rods 30 will slidingly withdraw from underneath the frame bar 11, thereby allowing theroller carrying frame to swing downwardly with its hangers 18 toward the opposite side of the grave. The two sections of the casket placing mechanism will eventually reach the vertical positions in which they are illustrated in Figure 3. In these positions the casket may be lowered into the grave preparatory to the removal of the casket receiver sections, although it will be obvious that if desired both of the casket receiver sections may be removed as soon as the casket has been deposited upon the lowering straps 44.

The free end portions of the rods or fork arms 30 are supported by the cable 36 at a suiiicient distance from their extremities to enable these fork arms 30 to swing downwardly to a substantial distance before becoming withdrawn from the cable 36, and in the meantime the portions which support the frame bar 11 will have swung downwardly to a sufficient extent to depositthe casket upon. the straps 44. The cable passes over the rods 18 in close proximity to the rods 30. The rods 30 will therefore be held as in a sling, and little power willbe required to control the slackening movement of the cable as it is released from the eccentric or cam-shaped brake member 39. But by the time the casket has been deposited upon the straps 44 the arms 30 will be withdrawn from the cable and will swing freely to the vertical position.

The modifications shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 will now be described.

In Figure 5 the casket receiving device is illustrated in the same relation to the lowering mechanism as in Figure 1, but an auxiliary casket support is employed which has side bars -provided with downwardly bent end portions '51 having foot plates 52 adaptedto'rest upon the ground.

then be deposited by the pallbearers directly upon the vault bottom.

The casket, or the casket and the vault bottom, may then be advanced upon the supporting rollers to its position above the grave, where it will be received by the rollers 13.

In cases where it is desired to place the vault bottom upon the straps 44 before the casket is delivered at the grave, the frame of the casket receiving device may be detached from the supporting rods 18 and used independently of either these rods or the fork arms 30. It will then be placed directly upon the vault bottom 56, as shown in Figure 7, and will preferably be anchored to the end bar 38 of the casket lowering mechanism by a pair of cables 36 and 36a. It will be obvious that a pair .of cables might be used in connection 5 with the receiving device shown in Figure 1, but only one cable is illustrated in Figure 1 for the reason that the rods 18 and the fork arms 30, when used, may be relied upon to hold the frame bars 10 and 11 in proper position, whereas when 1 these supports are omitted as illustrated in Figure '7, the roller carrying frame of the receiving device might slide along the vault bottom while receiving the casket unless two cables are employed to hold it against turning movements.

After the funeral the casket receiving device illustrated in Figure '7 may be removed by the undertaker and his assistants by slightly lifting the casket at one end and drawing the receivingdevice out laterally.

We claim:

1. A casket receiving device comprising the combination of pairs of hook-shaped members loosely engageable with the sides of a casket lowering frame, a roller carrying frame adjustably connected with one pair of said hook-shaped members, and means for maintaining another pair of said members in supporting relation to the first pair when the frame is in casket receiving position.

2. A casket receiving device comprising a roller carrying frame, devices for supporting said frame in part from one side of a casket lowering mechanism and in part from the other side, and means for lowering the supporting devices at one side to allow a gradual downwardly swinging movement of the frame and of the other supporting devices from beneath a casket.

3. A casket receiving device comprising the combination with a roller carrying frame, of hanger members adapted to support one side of the frame from a casket lowering mechanism and to hold the frame in a position of suspension therefrom, cooperative hanger members loosely engageable with the other side of the casket lowering mechanism, and a cable adapted to connect said cooperative members with the frame in supporting relation thereto.

4. A casket receiving device comprising the combination with a roller carrying frame, of

hanger members adapted to support one side of the frame from a casket lowering mechanism and to hold the frame in a position of suspension therefrom, cooperative hanger members loosely engageable with the other side of the casket lowering mechanism, and a cable adapted to connect said cooperative members with the frame in supporting relation thereto, said casket lowering mechanism being provided with means for anchoring the cable thereto in supporting position.

5. A casket receiving device comprising the combination with a roller carrying frame, of hanger members adapted to support one side of the frame from a casket lowering mechanism and to hold the frame in a position of suspension therefrom, cooperative hanger members loosely engageable with the other side of the casket lowering mechanism, and a cable adapted to connect said cooperative members with the frame in supporting relation thereto, said casket lowering mechanism being provided with means for anchoring the cable thereto in supporting position, said anchoring means including a member adapted to serve as a brake when releasing the cable from its supporting position.

6. The combination of a casket lowering mechanism provided with a casket receiving roller at one end, a roller carrying casket receiving frame, means for supporting said casket receiving frame within the central portion of the casket lowering mechanism, and means for anchoring it with its rollers substantially in fixed relation to said receiving roller, said frame being removable by manual manipulation after receiving the casket.

7. A casket receiving device comprising a casket receiving frame, in combination with means for detachably supporting said frame in part from one side of the casket lowering mechanism and in part from the other side thereof, said supporting means comprising separable and independently swinging members.

8. A casket receiving device comprising a casket receiving frame, in combination with means for detachably supporting said frame in part from one side of the casket lowering mechanism and in part from the other side thereof, said supporting means comprising separable and independently swinging members, and coupling connections for temporarily uniting said members to hold said device in a casket receiving position.

9. A casket receiving device having adjustable hook-shaped hangers for connecting the same with one side of a casket lowering device, and auxiliary hook-shaped members adapted to be connected with the other side of the casket lowering device and held in a horizontal frame supporting position pending receipt of a casket upon the roller carrying frame.

10. A casket receiving device having adjustable hook-shaped hangers for connecting the same with one side of a casket lowering device, and auxiliary hook-shaped members adapted to be connected with the other side of the casket lowering device and held in a horizontal frame supporting position pending receipt of a casket upon the roller carrying frame, said first mentioned hangers being formed in extensible sections and provided with means for locking said sections together in various positions of adjustment.

HENRY J. HARDER. HERBERT R. KO'I'ENBERG. 

